Help Vulnerable Women Become Leaders of Change

Thank you so much for generously supporting Global Grassroots’ Academy for Conscious Change. We are excited to have convened our current cohort of 12 teams of women (and their supportive male colleagues). These teams all are focusing on bringing clean, safe water to their villages by mid-2016 through our exciting partnership with The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation’s Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN). RAIN is helping support these twelve water ventures as part of a 3:1 matching grant so we really need your help as an individual donor to ensure that our teams are able to achieve their goals! 

Our teams began their 12-month leadership training and social venture incubator through our Academy in July. They will work to provide water access to their respective communities, a total of approximately 30,000 people, while simultaneously addressing social issues facing women and girls, such as sexual exploitation associated with water collection or water-borne illnesses. Just as in all of our other Academies, participants learned mindfulness, entrepreneurial skills, accounting and financial accountability, and nonprofit management. Currently teams are completing their business proposals which will include mission and vision statements, a team roster, and a list of stakeholders. 

Ten of the 12 women-led teams will be working with WASAC, the Rwandan municipal water authority, to extend the main water pipeline into their communities. The two remaining teams, both without access to a WASAC pipeline, will each install a pipeline system to run water from local springs directly into their respective villages. The median cost globally for water infrastructure to bring clean water to one person is $250. Global Grassroots’ high-engagement model teaches women how to provide water to their communities, sustainably and permanently, while also improving other dimensions of the lives of local women and girls, for just $6.50 per person. We stand proudly behind our data and believe that our approach of working with grassroots women change leaders may be one of the most efficient water programs globally. Add to that the many significant ripples of impact, particularly for women and girls, and we know our program is special.

Global Grassroots staff has already begun to provide high-engagement support to teams in the field, helping them to fully develop their proposals. Once completed proposals have been approved, teams will collect data for their baseline issue studies, get materials estimates, and develop project budgets. Going operational is close to a year away for all teams but there is a lot to do in the meantime. We look forward to reporting on their progress over the coming months.

This year, your gift – at any level – will help us 'meet our match' from RAIN and will support our teams in bringing safe, clean water to thousands of people. Sustainably. Permanently. Amazing. Thank you so much!